scholarly journals Microfluidics for Electrophysiology, Imaging, and Behavioral Analysis of Hydra

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishna N. Badhiwala ◽  
Daniel L. Gonzales ◽  
Daniel G. Vercosa ◽  
Benjamin W. Avants ◽  
Jacob T. Robinson

ABSTRACTThe cnidarian Hydra vulgaris provides an exciting opportunity to discover the relationship between animal behavior and the activity of every neuron in highly plastic, diffuse network of spiking cells. However, Hydra’s deformable and contractile body makes it difficult to manipulate the local environment while recording neural activity. Here, we present a suite of microfluidic technologies capable of simultaneous electrical, chemical, and optical interrogation of these soft, deformable organisms. Specifically, we demonstrate devices that can immobilize Hydra for hours-long simultaneous electrical and optical recording, and chemical stimulation of behaviors revealing neural activity during muscle contraction. We further demonstrate quantitative locomotive and behavioral tracking made possible by confining the animal to quasi-two-dimensional micro-arenas. Together, these proof-of-concept devices show that microfluidics provide a platform for scalable, quantitative cnidarian neurobiology. The experiments enabled by this technology may help reveal how highly plastic networks of neurons provide robust control of animal behavior.

1982 ◽  
Vol 257 (10) ◽  
pp. 5839-5845
Author(s):  
R H Himes ◽  
Y C Lee ◽  
G R Eagle ◽  
K M Haskins ◽  
S D Babler ◽  
...  

2011 ◽  
Vol 77 (10) ◽  
pp. 3532-3535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caray A. Walker ◽  
Willie Donachie ◽  
David G. E. Smith ◽  
Michael C. Fontaine

ABSTRACTA two-step allele replacement mutagenesis procedure, using a conditionally replicating plasmid, was developed to allow the creation of targeted, marker-free mutations inCorynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. The relationship between homologous sequence length and recombination frequency was determined, and enhanced plasmid excision was observed due to the rolling-circle replication of the mutagenesis vector. Furthermore, an antibiotic enrichment procedure was applied to improve the recovery of mutants. Subsequently, as proof of concept, a marker-free,cp40-deficient mutant ofC. pseudotuberculosiswas constructed.


It was shown in an earlier paper (7) that if maximal stimulation of either of two different afferent nerves can reflexly excite fractions of a given flexor muscle, there are generally, within the aggregate of neurones which innervate that muscle, motoneurones which can be caused to discharge by either afferent (i. e., motoneurones common to both fractions). The relationship which two such afferents bear to a common motoneurone was shown, by the isometric method of recording contraction, to be such that the activation of one afferent, at a speed sufficient to cause a maximal motor tetanus when trans­mitted to the muscle fibres, caused exclusion of any added mechanical effect when the other afferent was excited concurrently. This default in mechanical effect was called “occlusion.” Occlusion may conceivably be due to total exclusion of the effect of one afferent pathway on the common motoneurone by the activity of the other; but facilitation of the effect of one path by the activation of the other when the stimuli were minimal suggests that, in some circumstances at least, the effect of each could augment and summate with th at of the other at the place of convergence of two afferent pathways. Further investigation, using the action currents of the muscle as indication of the nerve impulses discharged by the motoneurone units, has now given some information regarding the effect of impulses arriving at the locus of convergence by one afferent path when the unit common to both is already discharging in response to impulses arriving by the other afferent path. Our method has been to excite both afferent nerves in overlapping sequence by series of break shocks at a rapid rate and to examine the action currents of the resulting reflex for evidence of the appearance of the rhythm of the second series in the discharge caused by the first when the two series are both reaching the motoneurone.


2021 ◽  
Vol 154 (8) ◽  
pp. 084105
Author(s):  
Sandra M. V. Pinto ◽  
Nicola Tasinato ◽  
Vincenzo Barone ◽  
Laura Zanetti-Polzi ◽  
Isabella Daidone

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (14) ◽  
pp. 89-97
Author(s):  
MUSTAFA ÖZYEŞİL ◽  
MOHAMMAD AL-TARIFI

Cryptocurrencies are a modern kind of financial instrument (Hudson & Urquhart, 2019), the first cryptocurrency is Bitcoin , proposed by who called Satoushi Nakamato (2008), as The open source was created on the proof-of-concept principle that transactions can be securely treated on a decentralized peer to peer network without the need for a central clearinghouse, which appeared 2009 ( Heid, 2013). The success of the bitcoin blazes a trail to what called ‘Altcoin” this expression means all the cryptocurrencies that set in motion after the victory of the bitcoin, these coins sell themselves as the best alternatives for the bitcoin (FRANKENFIELD, 2020) . There are many types for the altcoin. The third type of the cryptocurrency is called Tokens Unlike Bitcoin and Altcoins, tokens are not able to activate independently and are dependent on the grid of another cryptocurrency. That means they do not have their own core DLT or blockchain, but instead, are built on top of an existing cryptocurrency’s blockchain (Types of cryptocurrencies: explaining the major types of cryptos, 2019). The worth of bitcoin doesn’t depend on any tangible asset or economies of the countries while it is based upon the security of an algorithm which traces all transactions (Hudson & Urquhart, 2019). The studies determine the number of the bitcoin price development in the long -run (Ciaian, Rajcaniova, & Kancs, 2018): • Market forces of the Bitcoin supply and demand • The bitcoin’s attractiveness for the investors • The influence of global macro-financial developments If you're forming an investment strategy designed to help you trail long-term financial intentions, understanding the relationship between company size, return potential, and risk is vital. (Market cap—or market capitalization—refers to the total value of all a company's shares of stock, 2017) .Hence , Manifested importance a cryptocurrency’s market capitalization as the total values of all coins currently in circulation. the cryptocurrency’s market cap contains what’s called Bitcoin Dominance that is the ratio between the market cap of bitcoin to other coins of the cryptocurrency markets (jacobcanfield, 2019) . Cryptocurrency trade is attractive type of investment. this market treated the same of the foreign exchange and stock market ( Radityo, Munajat, & Budi, 2017). The investors using the same basic in investment (buy low, sell high) but they need to calculating the risks


2001 ◽  
Vol 280 (3) ◽  
pp. C465-C472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bing Han ◽  
Baoan Ji ◽  
Craig D. Logsdon

In the cholecystokinin (CCK) hyperstimulation model of acute pancreatitis, two early intracellular events, activation of trypsinogen and activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), are thought to be important in the development of the disease. In this study, the relationship between these two events was investigated. NF-κB activity was monitored by using a DNA binding assay and mob-1 chemokine gene expression. Intracellular trypsin activity was measured by using a fluorogenic substrate. Protease inhibitors including FUT-175, Pefabloc, and E-64d prevented CCK stimulation of intracellular trypsinogen and NF-κB activation. Likewise, the NF-κB inhibitors pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate and N-acetyl-l-cysteine inhibited CCK stimulation of NF-κB and intracellular trypsinogen activation. These results suggested a possible codependency of these two events. However, CCK stimulated NF-κB activation in Chinese hamster ovary-CCKAcells, which do not express trypsinogen, indicating that trypsin is not necessary for CCK activation of NF-κB. Furthermore, adenovirus-mediated expression in acinar cells of active p65 subunits to stimulate NF-κB, or of inhibitory κB-α molecules to inhibit NF-κB, did not affect either basal or CCK-mediated trypsinogen activation. Thus trypsinogen and NF-κB activation are independent events stimulated by CCK.


2021 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-143
Author(s):  
Penelope Wilson ◽  
Hosni Ghazala

Abstract. The paper explores the relationship between the archaeological zones of the ancient city of Sais at Sa el-Hagar, Egypt, and the natural landscape of the western central Nile Delta and, in particular, the extent to which the dynamic form of the landscape was an element in the choice of settlement location. Furthermore, settlement at Sais has been determined to have existed at several locations in the immediate environs of the current archaeological zones from the Neolithic period, around 4000 BCE (Before Common Era), to the modern day, suggesting that the local environment was conducive to sustainable settlement, culminating in the establishment of a capital city in the 7th century BCE. The nature of the settlement, its immediate environs and waterway systems will, thus, be described, based on correlation of geological, geophysical, remote sensing and archaeological data, in order to establish if and when human interactions in the landscape can be determined to be reactive or proactive.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua D. Sammons ◽  
Caroline E. Bass ◽  
Jonathan D. Victor ◽  
Patricia M. Di Lorenzo

ABSTRACTRecent work has shown that most cells in the rostral, gustatory portion of the nucleus tractus solitarius (rNTS) in awake, freely licking rats show lick-related firing. However, the relationship between taste-related and lick-related activity in rNTS remains unclear. Here, we tested if GABA-derived inhibitory activity regulates the balance of lick- and taste-driven neuronal activity. Combinatorial viral tools were used to restrict expression of ChR2-EYFP to GAD1+ GABAergic neurons. Viral infusions were bilateral in rNTS. 2-4wks later, an optical fiber attached to 8-16 drivable microwires was implanted into the rNTS. After recovery, water-deprived rats were presented with taste stimuli in an experimental chamber. Trials were 5 consecutive taste licks [NaCl, KCl, NH4Cl, sucrose, MSG/IMP, citric acid, quinine, or artificial saliva (AS)] separated by 5 AS licks on a VR5 schedule. Each taste lick triggered a 1s train of laser light (25Hz; 473nm; 8-10mW) in a random half of the trials. In all, 113 cells were recorded in the rNTS, 50 responded to one or more taste stimuli without GABA enhancement. Selective changes in response magnitude (spike count) within cells shifted across unit patterns but preserved inter-stimulus relationships. Cells where enhanced GABAergic tone increased lick coherence conveyed more information distinguishing basic taste qualities and different salts than other cells. In addition, GABA activation significantly amplified the amount of information that discriminated palatable vs. unpalatable tastants. By dynamically regulating lick coherence and remodeling the across-unit response patterns to taste, enhancing GABAergic tone in rNTS reconfigures the neural activity reflecting sensation and movement.Significance StatementThe rostral nucleus tractus solitarius (rNTS) is the first structure in the central gustatory pathway. Electrophysiological recordings from the rNTS in awake, freely-licking animals show that cells in this area have lick- as well as taste-related activity, but the relationship between these characteristics is not well understood. Here, we showed evidence that GABA activation can dynamically regulate both of these two properties in rNTS cells to enhance the information conveyed, especially about palatable vs. unpalatable tastants. These data provide insights into the role of inhibitory activity in the rNTS.


2017 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-23
Author(s):  
Josiah Marquis ◽  
Meriem Benlamri ◽  
Elizabeth Dent ◽  
Tharmitha Suyeshkumar

Almost half of the Canadian landscape is made up of forests, but the amount of forest surface area burned every year has been growing steadily since 1960.1 This can be problematic due to the effects that forest fires have not only on the local environment but also on the globe as a whole. A forest fire or vegetation fire is defined as any open fire of vegetation such as savannah, forest, agriculture, or peat that is initiated by humans or nature.2 Vegetation fires contribute heavily to air pollution and climate change and are in turn exacerbated by them as well. Air pollution increases due to emissions from these fires, which contain 90-95% carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide as well as methane and other volatile compounds.2 Emissions from forest fires also contribute to global greenhouse gases and aerosol particles (biomass burning organic aerosols),2 leading to indirect and direct consequences to human health. In contrast to biomass burning for household heating and cooking, catastrophic events of forest fires and sweeping grassland fires result in unique exposures and health consequences. In this case report, the relationship between environmental hazardous air pollutants and the potential physiological and psychological health effects associated with the forest fire that affected Fort McMurray, AB in May 2016 are considered.


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